Zero Clearance Fireplace

Interested in picking up a zero clearance fireplace?  A zero clearance fireplace basically makes it so that you can have a fireplace in your house even if you don’t have a chimney.  These are also known as prefabricated fireplaces, they don’t need a hearth and they can be surrounded with a wooden frame with air vents in the back.

A zero clearance fireplace offers convenience as well as efficiency, these things can be placed anywhere within your home, you don’t have to stick it next to a chimney.  These fireplaces also can be moved from one room to another as they are not nailed down, although some of them will be quite heavy to move.

One other thing about a zero clearance fireplace is that they generally cost substantially less than other fireplaces that you’ll find on the market. 

These fireplaces are also quite energy efficient, some of them are at 70% efficiency or higher.

Finally, these require very little maintenance when it comes to the operation of it. 

Now when you’re looking to pick one of these up, be sure to look into the size of the firebox opening, you want to make sure it’s a good match for the room you’re heating.  A good rule to follow is that for every foot of the room you’re trying to heat, you should have an inch added to the width of the opening.  There is a delicate balance between the opening being too big or too small, you don’t want to have a large heating bill and you don’t want to have the opening so small that you barely see the benefits of the fire.

These kinds of fireplaces will usually cost you between $800 and $4,000 depending on where you buy it and what kind of features you’re looking for. 

Now the zero clearance fireplace usually has glass doors, and in some models the glass doors must be kept closed when the fire is lit and in others they can be left open.  High efficiency fireplaces though often have the doors closed.  A lot of conventional ovens have the glass doors to keep heat loss to a minimum when there isn’t a fire, but they should be kept open once a fire is lit.

Now when you’re loading the logs, a few tips for you are to only burn seasoned hardwood, don’t use wood scraps or paper.   Also, load the logs up at the back of the fireplace and use a fireplace screen as well.  Finally, never leave the fire unattended, especially overnight.

Now if you’re looking for a zero clearance fireplace, there are plenty of online retailers you can check out that will have more information on picking one of these up, so definitely go and check that out to gain a bit more perspective.